The 6-foot-3, 215-pound wide receiver towers over high school friends and foes like it’s a father-son game, and he’s headed to play for UCLA on scholarship next fall. Reed, formerly of Elk Grove-Cosumnes Oaks, is transferring to Tokay for his senior year of high school.

“It’s like winning the lottery you didn’t know you even entered,” Tokay coach Louis Franklin said during Wednesday’s practice. “That doesn’t happen.”

Reed said he moved from Elk Grove because of family issues and is living with family friends in Lodi. The Sacramento Bee reported Reed was dismissed from Cosumnes Oaks due to "conduct detrimental to the team" during a team trip to Oregon.

Regardless, Reed has moved on to play for the purple and gold, and has a clean slate for his final year of high school.

“I like it out here. I had no choice but to move, we had financial problems,” said Reed, also a basketball standout at Cosumnes Oaks. “I can’t miss the dudes in Elk Grove. I’ve got a fresh, new start.”

Reed shined with ease Wednesday – the first day teams could practice in full pads, per state rules. He hauled in touchdown passes, bumped shoulders with his teammates jovially and seemingly fit in easily.

“In the short time, we can tell he’s really competitive. He likes the kids,” said Franklin, whose Tigers went 8-3 and reached the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs last season. “He’s cracking jokes with the kids. He’s been really supportive.”

Franklin found out about Reed’s transfer from his players’ text messages the weekend of Aug. 2-3. Transfers are nothing new, he thought. Then he got the name, looked him up and saw he had a receiver bound for the Pac-12.

“I’m going, ‘What? Someone’s messing with me,’” Franklin said.

It didn’t seem true until the school’s counseling office called Franklin in to meet Reed.

Reed powered Cosumnes Oaks to a Sierra Valley Conference crown a year ago with nine touchdown catches, and wants to dazzle in the Tri-City Athletic League (TCAL) once his transfer sit-out period ends. He’ll miss the first five games of the season, per California Interscholastic Federation rules.

Franklin submitted Reed's transfer paperwork to the section office on Tuesday, he said.

“It just takes patience. I’m going to get hyped up for my teammates even though I’m not out there on the field the first five games,” Reed said. “As soon as that sixth game comes, it’s going to be a fun ride.”

Tokay won't have Reed in uniform for home games against Hercules, Bear Creek and Franklin, and road trips to Modesto-Downey and McNair. Even without Reed for half the regular season, Franklin, who is entering his eighth season, said he has the most talented roster he's ever had.

For Reed, this experience could help him at UCLA, where he’ll join former Cosumnes Oaks teammate Alex Van Dyke.

He’ll be competing in one of the best conferences in college football. He’ll wear the same powder blue and gold uniform that Troy Aikman and Jackie Robinson once did. And he’ll be far from home.

So, learning to acclimate to new surroundings quickly could prove valuable.

“This is mirroring what his college experience will be. New offense, new defense, new head coach … new everything,” Franklin said.

“Take that as an opportunity to get ready for the next stage of your life.”

Contact reporter Thomas Lawrence at (209) 546-8272 or tlawrence@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/sportsblog and on Twitter @RecordPreps.